Falling
by PrettyGothGirl
Summary: RG:One hot summer afternoon's day, Rikku and Gippal get busy falling for each other. Pt. 3 Yuna calls and sets Rikku's brain in motion and Gippal has to prod her out of it. Rated M for Adult Content!
1. Chapter 1

**Falling**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_  
**Summary:** Rikku's bored and Gippal feels lazy and both of them are feeling things they're not talking about.  
**A/N:** For the Quite the Couple Situational Challenge. _Rule: Social b 99.1 : If friends spend more than 60 minutes unable to decide what to do, they must default to sexual experimentation._ I promise I didn't sign up for this challenge, but I read IcePrincessD's story and got inspired. Blame her!

Rikku flattened her body more against the floor trying to absorb more of its cool. She twitched her shoulders a bit and grimaced as her hips and butt hurt. It wasn't very comfortable and she'd complain more that Gippal had taken the couch if the omnipresent heat hadn't meant the floor was cooler than the couch and even if she wasn't comfortable. She had the better end of the deal. Besides, it took energy to whine and the heat had stolen her energy and managed to make every idea she'd had not worth the effort. She idly pulled a bead off her braid, turned it over in her fingers. It was better than staring at the ceiling, in which she'd counted the cracks until her eyes hurt. She tossed the bead up and over her head. It hit Gippal on the bridge of his nose. He opened his eye and slapped his face.

"I'm bored." She said. All right, it was more a whine. They had been just lying there not even talking for what felt like forever.

Gippal picked the bead up with his thumb and forefinger lifting it over his head to look through the hole. "You said that an hour ago."

"Well, I'm still bored."

He refrained from rolling his eyes with effort. He turned over onto his side to look down at her, elbow pinned beneath him. "You weren't coming up with any good ideas." And it really didn't make a difference to him. He _liked _being lazy.

She stuck out her tongue. Gippal squashed the thoughts of all the sensations that tongue could make him feel. This was Rikku and he wasn't, even though he did, supposed to have such thoughts about her. It took his brain a moment to catch up with the fact she was saying something.

"I was at least coming up with _some_." Rikku scowled. And they had been good ideas. She hadn't said anything about the bad ideas. The bad ideas included some tonsil hockey and bare skin and all the naughty things she _wanted_ to do to and with Gippal but didn't because he was her _friend._ And deep down, she didn't want to lose him by scaring him away with her hormonal urges, even if he was beyond good looking, muscular and was fun to be around. He didn't need to know the first two. He'd let it go to his head and be insufferable. And losing the last, that was not an option she'd give up for a five minute make out session. Even if the make out session sounded really, really hot.

Gippal raised his eyebrow. She was laid out like a feast on the floor, messy hair spilled about her head, the faint shadow of her cleavage, the expanse of her exposed belly with it's little dip for the belly button and legs that looked impossibly long with that skirt. Tan, muscular but soft and absolutely gorgeous. There had to be some rule about lusting after your best female friend. Had to be.

Besides, her ideas hadn't been lazy enough or cool enough. They didn't involve enough bare-naked skin and since one of the ideas had been swimming, that mean all bare skin. Or ice cubes, there had been no ice cubes in her ideas. A good idea involved cool drinks with little umbrellas in them, crisp sheets, nakedness and ice cubes. And there he was again, thinking about sex things and Rikku. "And I didn't like any of them." He leaned further forward and dropped the bead between her eyes. Rikku's eyes started to cross. He felt his body unbalanced. He tried to roll backwards and it was too late. He overbalanced and fell forward. He flung his arms out and caught his body at full extension. His hands were to each side of Rikku's shoulders and legs to either side of hers.

The bead bounced unnoticed off of Rikku's forehead. She squeaked, her heart stopping. Her hand spread out on his chest. Their noses almost touched. They stared at each other wide eyed.

"You okay?" He asked.

Rikku blinked. "Yeah. That was a close one."

The tension left his shoulders. He hadn't hurt her. He relaxed his elbows and at the same moment she raised and tilted her head. Their lips brushed. They froze.

Rikku's heart pounded and under her hand she felt Gippal's heart beating erratically. All she had meant to do was look down their bodies to see where his legs were but now… They were in a kiss, an accidental kiss. It was a kiss all the same and it was _Gippal._ So much for keeping her bad ideas to herself.

Gippal wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know what she was trying to do. Was it on purpose? Was it an accident? Were her lips as soft as he thought they were? And why in the hottest sands of Sanubia was he trying _not_ to think about sexual things and Rikku in the first place? He couldn't figure out if he should break the kiss or not. He couldn't think of a reason to do so that seemed reasonable and she wasn't moving. If she moved he'd know how to proceed. She could push him away easily. Did she want to push him away? Sometimes he thought the way she steered his thoughts towards sex with her actions wasn't by accident.

She didn't know what to do either. It was an accident. She should pull away. No, she should pull him down further and _really_ show him how she felt about him. She should rear back, blush, sputter and apologize. That's what girls did right? And then maybe he'd kiss her for real to shut her up. Then again, did she want to be that stupidly girly? And it was Gippal, the guy who had to be the worst reader of body language ever. How long had she been openly and transparently flirting with him and he did not _get it_? Maybe this was her chance to show him, to be Rikku and do things _her_ way. Not that she'd ever had a boyfriend to know what her way was when it came to things like this.

'Aw to hell with it.' They thought at the same time.

He shifted his face enough to cover her bottom lip with his turning the brush of lips into a full on kiss. In the same moment, she arched her back off the floor and fisted her hand into his shirt as if trying to pull him closer. She returned his kiss.

Electricity sparked across his skin, fire ran through his veins as Rikku's kiss told him volumes about her that he'd been in denial for years. '_Shit._' His elbows felt rubbery and his knees weak. He dropped to his knees and knew by the trembling in his arms they weren't going to last much longer.

Rikku broke the kiss for a moment before starting another one. Facing down fiends didn't make her feel this alive. A combination of blood and adrenaline rushed through her veins. She no longer could feel the floor. Her head weighed nothing. The relief of surviving Sin couldn't compare, every single nerve of her body tingled and fizzled aching to be touched inside and out.

He broke the kiss and they stared at each other.

"Don't stop." Rikku tugged on his shirt. She knew it sounded girlish, awful and begging. She wasn't sure she cared anymore. He was _kissing_ her.

He carefully shifted his weight easing closer to her and the floor. He didn't want to stop. He also didn't know why he'd waited so long to do this. Especially now that he was looking into her eyes and he could clearly see the intense desire there. How had he missed it? Maybe he'd just never looked before too scared of being hurt by seeing. He rested his weight on his elbows, cupping her face with his hands. He caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. She sighed at the tingling sensations, lips parting in invitation. Her eyes softened, melting into cliché puddles of green.

He lowered his head. "No stopping." He murmured before their lips met again.

Forget Cid's girl. She was Gippal's girl now.

_reviews are love. love me?!_

_PS. I did stop before Gippal went for the ice cubes. I refrained. I really did. It was hard._


	2. Chapter 2

**Falling Pt. 2**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Summary:** Gippal feels there is a little too much reality on the floor and has to set the mood, Rikku wavers between security and insecurity and things go from hot to burning, not that either of them notice.  
**A/N:** All right, I will admit I severely editted this story (by about five pages or 2000 words) to fit within the 'guidelines'. IF you would like to read the unedited full out passionate burning HOT version, please go to my fiction journal at prettygoth_ink(dot)livejournal(dot)com and get more story for your viewing pleasure. Otherwise, I hope you still enjoy this fade to black version.

Rikku was unaware of her change of status in Gippal's mental estimations. Or perhaps, even to herself she'd still been Cid's little girl and with her lips still molded to Gippal's she could classify herself as Gippal's woman. She would even be Gippal's girl if that meant he'd never ever stop touching her.

Though he'd already agreed to no stopping. She loosened her hand on his shirt. He had better not stop. She had waited too long for something like this and to have it literally drop into her lap... The thought would have made her giggle, except Gippal was kissing her and she didn't want to ruin it. She slid her hand up his chest until she hooked it around his neck. Her fingers paused in his hair. She curled it around her fingers, feeling how fine and soft it was. She wondered if the rest of his hair felt the same.

Gippal made a little noise in the back of his throat as she massaged the back of his head with her fingers. He closed his eyes to focus more on the sensations of her lips brushing against his, their heat rising between them and her fingers twisting in his hair almost begging him to make it harder and hotter. Did she have any clue what she was doing to him? No. Probably not.

He ran his tongue across the seam of her lips, begging entrance. She opened her mouth more for him. It took a few minutes of fumbling and near misses, scraping against teeth and butting up against cheeks, but their tongues finally found and played against each other. The rough and then gliding sensations created a tingle that started at the back of Rikku's throat and shot down to her stomach. Rikku's hand stopped moving, cupped against the back of his head and he wished that he wasn't completely on his knees and elbows so he could take advantage of touching her more. Because, damn. He wanted to touch her more. Soft, hard, warm, smooth, soft, rough, every single inch of her until she writhed beneath him demanding more. For some odd reason he figured he'd gotten all of the begging out of Rikku he was ever going to get.

His knees and elbows began to burn, muscles trembled from holding up his own weight. It was a little too much reality invading his ultimate fantasy. He broke the kiss and pulled back a bit until their lips barely brushed. They panted, hot breath between parted lips ghosted across the others. His eye wandered across her face. Her eyes half closed, her cheeks slightly pink and her swollen red kissable lips that still had a trace of strawberry flavor. He brushed his lips across hers again. He had to pause here, because contrary to what people thought, rug burn was not sexy. He eased backwards.

Rikku's hand slid off his neck. Her nose wrinkled as he gingerly stood. What had happened? He'd promised! Her gut rolled. "Gippal?" She asked, her voice rose on the last syllable. She cringed at the quaver. She shoved up onto her elbows. He walked away towards the kitchen, pulling his shirt over his head exposing the long line of his spine and bunching muscles under smooth creamy skin that looked good enough to lick. His shirt dropped to the floor forgotten. Her fingers dug into the carpet and her heart pounded as she felt what ever it was that had been happening between them slipping away from her. Had she done something wrong? He disappeared into the kitchen. Did he not really feel what his body told her he was feeling or it wouldn't really matter if he would just answer her!

The cold box opened. Her brow furrowed. Was he thirsty? What was going on? She sank back to the carpet her mind a whirl and the bottom of her eyes and inside of her nose tickling with threatening tears. She'd been so close.

Gippal stuck his head into the freeze box. He couldn't get that image of Rikku and ice cubes out of his brain even as her tongue had skillfully been making all the blood rush from his head. Ice cubes… Ice cubes…. Ice cubes. He pulled the little box from the back and absentmindedly twisted it as he shut the door with his hip. He licked his lips and tasted the faint sweetness of strawberries. He paused and opened the cold box door, maybe- He grabbed the container of whipped cream, which was conveniently under the bowl of strawberries. He turned and kicked the door shut with his heel.

It was funny. He never knew why he liked strawberries before. He wondered if it would've been different if she wore cherry lip-gloss. He grimaced. Nah. Most cherry tasted like bad medicine in lip-gloss and not the sweet tartness of a ripe real cherry. He set the food on the counter and dumped the ice cubes into a bucket with his other hand. He shook his head and set the tray down. He turned back to the cold box and turned the bottles in the wine rack over it until he found the one he wanted. He slid it out and walked to a drawer, he opened it and got out the corkscrew, closed it and popped the cork as he walked back to the counter. He placed the bottle into the bucket, the corkscrew he tossed on the table before he reached up and selected two glasses from the rack overhead.

Then he looked at his gleaning. Damn it, not enough hands to get it all out at once and carry Rikku too. He frowned, champagne and ice to get the rest of the afternoon started right away or berries and cream to pacify Rikku?

Berries to pacify Rikku. Berries so her lips would taste sweeter than their natural sweetness. He picked up the bowls and left the kitchen. He paused at the door and looked at Rikku. Her hair in its glorious tangle, her hand splayed across her belly, her closed eyes and slightly quivering lips as she swallowed over and over again.

He could've kicked himself. Idiot. He narrowed his eye. He could fix this. He could. He crossed the room and lay down beside her propped up on his side by his elbow. He set the bowl above his head and selected a strawberry. He nibbled the end off and gently ran it over Rikku's bottom lip, leaving a layer of pink glistening juice.

She opened her eyes, deep green pools shiny with unshed tears and full of confusion. He was officially an ass. He made a mental note to never leave Rikku in the middle of _anything_ without a quick explanation. He offered the strawberry and tried to look contrite, widening his eye and tucking his chin down. Her mouth opened and he fed her the strawberry in two small bites. She nipped his thumb on the second bite. His breath caught in his throat, even confused and sad she was sexy; unintentionally sexy he was sure, but sexy. He ran the same thumb across her bottom lip as she swallowed. Her cheeks flushed. He cupped one and leaned down to brush her lips with his, just as he had before he'd left her for all of five minutes. Her eyes almost closed again.

"Gippal?" She whispered, it had the same intonation as before. The time he hadn't heard her. Maybe she hadn't said it as loud as she thought she had.

"Just a pause." He kissed her again.

A pause, not a stop? Her shoulder's relaxed as him mouth made requests against hers. She tried to lean up into and had to use her elbow to get leverage. She reached up and placed her hand over the one cupping her face. Her heart sped up. She hadn't done anything wrong. They weren't stopping. This accidental, whatever it was, it was real? It was happening? She couldn't hear anything over the pounding of her heart.

He tugged his hand out from under hers, fingers twisting together for a mere moment. Her mouth opened under his and he deepened the kiss. He set the two bowls on her stomach. She didn't seem to notice, her tongue to busy playing against his to care. He worked his arm under her and pulled them upwards. Her knees bent and he slid his other arm under those, picking her up and managing somehow to get to his feet without dropping her or breaking the kiss or spilling the bowl of strawberries. He'd _never_ be able to do that again.

She felt the floor fall away and didn't care. She placed a hand on the back of his neck and let her tongue glide across his teeth. She didn't know where he was taking her. She didn't really care as long as he didn't leave her hanging again.

He eased her down onto his bed and pulled away from the kiss. He sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at him, face muscles relaxed and eyes slightly wider than normal. "I'm left something in the kitchen. I'll be right back. I promise." He murmured.

She rolled her eyes and half sat up. "Gippal."

He placed a finger over her mouth. "I never mentioned my ideas." He picked the bowls up off her stomach before they tumbled onto his bed. "These are part of my ideas." He set them on the bedside table.

She leaned her head back. "Your ideas?"

He smirked and raised his eyebrow. "Yeah." His voice turned husky.

She stared at him. His eye had turned darker and it almost seemed to twinkle. Her mouth watered and she swallowed. Something in her stomach tightened. "All right."

He leaned over her with his arm propping him up on the other side of her body. "Will you take your hair down for me? I want to see it loose."

"Okay," she whispered.

He tilted his head and their lips met again, pressing against each other softly, and then slipping into place as they parted. Her eyes half closed again. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. Were they okay? He didn't want to ask and he really just wanted to kiss her again. He closed his eye. Kitchen, ice cubes… daydreams turning into reality before his eyes, why was it so hard to focus when he had an already half naked Rikku woman in his bed? The question was really the answer he decided after a second. "Kitchen." He muttered. "I left something in the kitchen." He opened his eye and pulled back.

Rikku tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled. He ran his fingers over her belly, almost catching on the smooth skin. Her eyes closed, darkened eyelashes lying against her cheeks. He sighed and stood.

Her eyes opened as she heard him walking away, padding across the carpeted floor. He looked over his shoulder at her and she wrinkled her nose at him. He grinned. She let her lip loose slowly from her teeth, and looked over at the bedside table. She rolled on her side and stretched to reach the strawberries. She rolled it in her fingers. What was Gippal up to? He had plans involving fruit and cream and her. She pressed the cool fruit against her lips and inhaled filling her nose with the sweet scent of strawberry. Her eyes closed. Laughter bubbled in her chest and threatened to escape. Strawberries, cream? She struggled not to giggle. Was Gippal really that much of a romantic? If she had known _that…_ Maybe they wouldn't have been engaged in their little dance for so long. Maybe… maybe earlier she wouldn't have been as worried. She set the strawberry back into the bowl and sat up, reaching up to tug her hair loose. Maybe she could incorporate some of her bad ideas that were now beginning to sound like really good ideas because she wouldn't, maybe couldn't, lose him.

Gippal returned. He saw her hand in her hair and paused, leaning against the doorframe. She caught his eye and slowly pulled out the rubber band. The hair fell out around her shoulders, braids swinging down across her breasts. Golden strands captured the afternoon sunlight streaming through his windows. She reached her hand out and dropped the band on the floor. His eye roamed over her hair, finally resting on her face again. He couldn't, he didn't know how to describe it other than beautiful. He swallowed hard.

Her eyes dropped to his hands, the glasses dangling from one and the way he cradled a bucket in the other arm. She pressed her lips together and raised her eyes back up to meet his. "Your plans, huh?"

He flushed.

Rikku's eyes widened and her jaw dropped a little. She snapped mouth shut and tried to regain her composure. Maybe they were both idiots. His jaw jutted out and he raised his eyes.

"Yeah, my ideas." Gippal tried not to growl. They were good ideas. There was nothing _wrong_ with his ideas.

Breathe, breathe Rikku, breathe. She told herself. And whatever you do, don't laugh. What would some cheesy romance heroine do? Her brain raced. She reached up and began toyed with one of the braids, running the end across her lips. What to do? What to say?

She didn't have to do or say anything more than she was already doing. He watched mesmerized as her hair drifted over her lips again, gold against pink. What would it feel like against his skin? He crossed the room in a daze. He set the bucket near the bed and the glasses on the table without thinking returning to the position he'd left in, sitting on the edge of the bed. He trapped her there with his arm across her body. The braid flicking stopped as her gaze refocused and she realized how close he was. Her pulse flickered in her throat.

He leaned his head down, pushing her hair aside and pressed his lips against the throbbing spot of skin on her neck. His hand hovered millimeters above her shoulder. She gasped. The braid dropped from her fingers. He inhaled deeply trying to decide what she smelled like and couldn't other than adventure, spice and home. His eyes closed and he shuddered. He kissed that beating point again, hotter than the rest of her skin. His hand glided down, just above her arm.

The little hairs all over her body stood on end. She tilted her head to the side unconsciously. Her lips parted as she tried to breath for entirely different reasons. Her fingers dug into the sheets. Such light touches shouldn't make her body react so strongly. One wasn't even a touch at all! She couldn't figure out what to do with her free hand. She turned it and it ended up against his arm. She curled her fingers around it, rubbing her hand over the skin and muscle. He leaned back, other hand reaching out pulling open the drawer. Her eyes flicked to meet his. He fished out the lighter and without once looking lit the candle on the bedside table. The lighter dropped back into the drawer and he shut it. The smell of hot beeswax began to fill the room.

His lips touched her again, molding against hers for a second then pulling away before touching again. She squeezed his shoulder. She wanted more. Tingles skittered across her skin. An ache built up in the back of her throat in anticipation. She darted her tongue out, running it between his bottom lip and his teeth before just as quickly removing it. His tongue invaded her mouth seeking hers and she curled her tongue around his. He cupped his free hand on her side, his thumb only needed to move a few centimeters to brush the underside of her breast. And Rikku wasn't sure on where to move her hand from his shoulder, up and back into his hair or down to caress the bared chest. She ran her thumb in little circles into the muscle. There was strength under her fingers. Strength he hid so carefully with his stupid shoulder guards. She was glad she was lying down because she doubted her knees would hold her and her elbows felt like jelly.

It was silly. She could kick his ass with one hand behind her back if she needed to and yet, she felt safe because he had well defined shoulders. And the long stare she'd gotten of his back, she shuddered. She needed to kiss down that at some point. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. He stared into her eyes and she relaxed even further. Whatever this feeling was, she liked it.

Gippal closed his eyes. The light pressure of their foreheads together, the soft silk of her skin under his hand, her fingers digging into his shoulder reminded him that she was there and this was real and how much he wanted. Why had he denied himself so long? Why had he denied her? He rubbed his thumb in a circle, the hem of her bikini bra stopping him from actually touching her breast. The tips of her hair tickled the back of his fingers.

She half closed her eyes and raised her hand enough to stroke down his arm. She traced the curves of the muscles with her fingertips, stopping as she came to his elbow and going back up, smooth, warm and creamy. She didn't even notice the fine hairs flat against his skin. And even though the heat of the day hadn't abated, she didn't care about the heat rising between their bodies.

He opened his eyes and tilted his head, brushing his cheek along hers moving downwards. Her lips came level with his ear.

"Kiss me." She whispered. She didn't care where or how, she wanted his lips on her body somewhere. Her lips brushed against his temple.

His mouth watered and he swallowed. His arm trembled under her hand. He pressed his lips slowly against the junction of her neck and shoulder. The black leather band holding her top up got in the way of his next kiss, but he kissed the ball of her shoulder next. Her fingers stopped tormenting his skin. He stopped the trail of kisses because of her sleeves. He looked up at her. Her bright green eyes seemed like liquid under the veil of her eyelashes. Her parted lips drew him back to her face. He kissed her lips, their mouths sealing slowly. Her eyes closed completely and she sighed. He gently tugged the first bow on the one sleeve loose. It slipped apart and he moved to the next, the sleeve falling open until it fluttered to the bed and he had to shift his weight to do the other one. All the while, he distracted her with sweet kisses.

She couldn't care less that he was undressing her. He could have torn her clothes off in a mad frenzy of lust and she would have egged him on for more. His fingers fumbled with the buckles on her top for a moment, before he figured out how to get them undone. He paused at her top, unsure how to do it. She smiled and leaned her head back. "Let me." She murmured.

His brow furrowed as she shimmied back a little, but she tugged it up and over her head, tossing it away. He stared at her breasts as they bounced. Her nipples were pink and already hard. He didn't see her own eyes roaming along his chest.

She lost her train of though, drawn in by his skin and his scent rising off of it. She drew closer and kissed the side of his neck, her hand just above his nipple. The smell of him filled her nostrils, musky, masculine and earthy. She kissed downwards, her hand moving as she did so, drawing a line down his chest to his stomach. His hand slid around to lie against her back. Her hair brushed against his skin and it felt like he could count every single strand.. She paused her hand at his nipple to rub around it and then run her thumb across it. The nipple stiffened and he groaned. Her hot mouth leaving a trail of wet down until it ran into his other nipple. Her hand slid down to splay across his stomach. He could feel her nipples scraping across his skin. He could barely breathe.

She licked his nipple. His abs clenched under her hand. She licked it again. He gasped and then cursed, shoving her to her back. Rikku's eyes widened as her head hit the pillow. He crawled over her. "Little witch." He muttered. She licked her lips and grinned. She reached up and ran her thumbs over his nipples.

She fluttered her eyelashes. "I do have a sexy witch outfit." He'd like it, she knew. It was in one of his favorite colors.

He made a noise in the back of his throat. "I just got you partially undressed."

She laughed and it turned into a gasp as his mouth closed over one of her nipples. He sucked it into his mouth, using his tongue to lick it quickly. Her back arched and a mew escaped her lips.

He let go and looked up at her. His eye narrowed and his lips turned upwards. Oh, she liked that.

"Gippal?"

He reached over the edge of the bed, fingers closing around one of the ice cubes in the bucket. He raised his eyebrow at her. There were just so many things he could do with an ice cube, and to think, they had all afternoon. He raised the ice cube and considered it. Her eyes widened again.

What the hell was he going to do with that? She panted in sharp little bursts. Her eyes flicked from him to the ice cube in his fingers and back. By all that was holy and dark, did she even want to know? Sure, it was _hot_ out, and being close together made them hotter still. Just… an ice cube? Her mind turned slightly weak.

He ran the ice cube over his lips while she watched. Her eyes were glued to the motion as he sucked on it for a moment before carefully running it down his neck, around his nipples and over his stomach leaving a long trail of glistening water exactly over the places her mouth and hand had touched. She licked her lips.

He shuddered, the things that tongue could do if she'd but knew it. He slipped the ice cube into his mouth and leaned down to kiss her. His lips were cold against hers and she shivered. Her mouth opened and he carefully maneuvered the ice cube into her mouth. Cold and wet into the heat, already half melted from his body and his mouth. She slid her tongue around it and reveled in the slick texture. His tongue rubbed against hers adding rough into the mix. Her hands slid around his chest and smeared the trail of water. She arched upwards into the kiss, pressing her breasts against his chest. The ice cube melted and she had to be careful not to choke on the water. Her hand slipped around his chest and caressed along his back. Her leg rubbed against his.

He mouthed her bottom lip and pushed her bangs away from her face. His fingers buried into her hair, it instantly tangling around them. He kissed her again trying to run his fingers through her hair, but couldn't and he instantly stopped.

She could stay like this forever. She found his spine and ran her fingers down the parts she could reach. His mouth pressed against hers and their tongues tangling from time to time. His weight holding her down didn't bother her nearly as much as she thought it might. She closed her eyes.

Gippal noticed and broke the kiss to kiss her chin and then her collarbone. He slipped one hand over the side of the bed again and found another ice cube. He kissed the base of her neck. She felt the cold radiating off something as it moved above her skin, but she couldn't persuade herself to open her eyes to figure out what it was. He pressed his lips against her pulse, taking time to lick across it. She sighed in pleasure and felt him smile into her skin. He drew his body away and placed the ice cube right under where his lips had been and drew downwards. Her eyes flew open.

"Gippal!"

He grinned. He liked how she said his name, even in shock. He tilted his head and glanced at her ear. The feather dangling from the hoop rested against the sheets. He put a finger under it and raised it up, then let it drop. He slipped the ice cube into his mouth and sucked down on it. He could always get another one. He pried the earring apart and set it to the side. The ice melted and he swallowed rest of the water. He got another ice cube, sucked on the end for a second and then placed his lips right next to her ear. "Rikku." He murmured. It came out husky and deeper than he intended.

Tingles exploded at the base of her spine. Her mouth formed an o and she arched upwards against him. She couldn't breathe for a few seconds. Her hands flailed and she finally gasped.

"Damn it." She swore.

He chuckled and it reverberated down her back, the tingling ache starting to form again. He took her earlobe into his mouth sucking on it for a moment, and then blowing on it. Her eyes closed. He ran the ice cube along her neck and then shifted to blow on the trail of water. Her skin flared to life and she exhaled. He leaned in and licked the water away, sweetness and Rikku, now slightly warmed by her body. He kept the ice cube moving, trailing it over her chest in random patterns, following it with his lips and his breath. He carefully avoided her jutting nipples and the dip of her belly button. The skin of her breasts felt softer to his tongue, more moist to his lips. At the base of her stomach he looked up her body across the expanse of her belly to the rise of her breasts. Her head was tilted back and she arched upwards, insensible noises coming out of her mouth.

He kissed upwards and dipped his tongue into her belly button. It was as if it was connected to something lower. Her fingers fisted into the sheets and she arched up more. He could smell a new addition to her scent, musky, sweet and warm.

He put the last of the ice cube into his mouth and moved further upwards, eyeing her nipple for a moment before taking it into his mouth, rubbing the ice against it.

She swore at him again and writhed against the bed. She felt hot and swollen and achy. His tongue swiped at her nipple a few times before sucking down on it hard. It pulled at something between her thighs and she rubbed against him. She bunched the sheets further in her hands.

He flicked her other nipple with his thumbnail, and then pinched it. She made more noises in the back of her throat. He sucked again, coming off of her nipple slowly. He kissed down her stomach, reminding her he had the ice by touching it to her skin from time to time. His fingers tugged at her skirt.

And one thing led to another…

* * *

They panted together, regaining their breath and their senses. She pressed a kiss to his brow, tasting salt. He eased them back, one hand searching for the pillow until they lay together. She stretched her legs, groaning a little and stretched out, half on top of him. He glanced over at the table, intent on finding the strawberries. Beyond the bowl the candle stood in a puddle of melted wax, half of its height. He half smiled and grabbed one of the red berries.

He offered it to her, placing it in front of her lips. She reached up to take it and he pulled it back. "Hey."

She giggled and opened her mouth. He fed it to her, bite by bite. Chewing the last bite, she rolled onto her side and reached over him, grabbing a berry for herself. Two could play at this feeding game. She ran the tip of it over his lips. He opened his mouth for it and reveled in the feel of her skin against his and the brush of her hair falling across his shoulder. He nibbled the pad of her thumb on the last bite and reached for another berry, this time dipping it in the cream. He held it up to her and wiggled his eyebrows.

She giggled again and leaned her head over it, sucking the cream off. Her eyes rolled upwards and half closed. A bit of it stuck to the corner of her mouth and he propped up on his elbow to kiss it away. She turned her head and their lips lingered together. He lay back down and offered the strawberry again. She sucked it into her mouth and ate it. Her eyes still half closed. Her hand flailed around for the champagne bottle, almost knocking it over before curling around it.

He craned his neck for the glasses. They really only needed one he supposed. There was one in reach and he strained for it, fingertips catching the rim and tipping it. He pulled it closer and then picked it up. He held it out for her at an angle.

"I was wondering," he started, he really hadn't been, it had just come to him suddenly but wondering made it sound a little less like she'd fried his brain, "if we should go out for dinner or stay in."

She poured the champagne into the class, bubbles rose to the surface. "Go out?"

"Yeah, once it's cooled off." He paused. "But, if we stay in…" He trailed off.

She ran her toes along his calf. "We wouldn't have to get dressed."

"Or take a shower." He conceded. "But."

Her eyebrow rose. "But?"

He grinned. "We'd have to cook."

She made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and grabbed a strawberry and shoved it into his mouth. "My cooking isn't that bad."

He had to chew and swallow before he could reply. "Nor is mine! It's just work and…" He caressed her side, running his fingers under her breast before rubbing his thumb across her nipple. He didn't want to leave the bed.

She moaned softly, leaning down to kiss him. His hand covered her breast and squeezed slightly. She took the champagne from his hand and pulled away from the kiss. "We stay in." She whispered. She took a sip of the champagne and swirled it around in her mouth before swallowing. "Besides, I haven't kissed down your back yet."

His breath caught in his throat and he forced himself to swallow. He grabbed the bottle and set it back in the bucket and the bucket back on the floor. "Then we best save some of that."

Her eyes lit up and she smiled, leaning down she kissed him. She set the glass back on the bedside table, pulling away for a moment she smiled and whispered. "Yes, we'd best."

_Reviews are love, love me?!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Falling. Pt 3 aka the Epilogue**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Summary:** una calls and sets Rikku's brain in motion and Gippal has to prod her out of it.  
**Author's Note:** I wrote this at work, and typed it really fast. Eep! So any spelling or grammar errors are as usual, my own. LOL

Rikku cradled the Djose commsphere in her hands. Yuna's face reflected and distorted in its blue curves. Her cousin made a face and Rikku tried not to giggle at the way her nose was bigger than her mouth.

"I don't know how you stand it. Anikki says you haven't left Djose for a month. How are you and Gippal managing in this heat?"

Rikku blinked. It'd been over a month. She'd been in Djose that long? She bit her bottom lip. "Umm, sweatily." She had to grin a bit. It didn't mean what Yuna thought it meant. Not that it appeared Yuna was paying attention or looking for any double-entendres on Rikku's part.

"Even here on Gagazet it's warm. Macalania's melting, all of the snow is gone here."

Rikku grimaced. Yeah that was bad. "Gippal decided to flip things around here time wise. So it's pretty late here for me."

Yuna tilted her head. "That's a not a bad idea."

"Sometimes, if it got too hot even for us, we'd do that at Home too and sleep through the hottest parts of the day." Rikku shrugged. "It worked out fine."

"I just wish it wasn't so hot." Yuna pouted. "It seems all I do anymore is complain about the heat and we came here to get away from it."

"And be romantic."

Yuna flushed. "Rikku!"

"What, all those hot springs…" She wiggled her eyebrows and giggled, as Yuna blushed more. "You are a bad girl, Yunie."

Yuna made strangled noises. "Me, what about you! Wiling all your time away at Djose."

"Gippal asks my opinion about things sometimes." Like, what to eat and where should they go out and if those pants made his butt look fat. He could be such a girl.

Yuna rolled her eyes. "Nice top, Rikku."

Rikku plucked at the hem and grinned. "You like it, there is this-"

"Wiling." Yuna put her hands on her hips. "You've been doing nothing."

"Shopping isn't nothing." Rikku crossed her arms. "You're vacationing and so am I."

"For over a month."

Rikku sighed.

Yuna shook her head. "Anikki's says he's tried everything to pry you out."

Rikku was going to strangle her brother. Trust him to open his big mouth and blab everything that went on Celsius wise to Yuna. Argh. "Unless it's the North Pole, there's no point. It's hot." And she'd rather shop and go to the Djose spa and have lots of sweaty, she grinned, sex with Gippal than do actual work. "You could work." Rikku pointed at Yuna. It's not like Yuna had a full time job herself!

Yuna gaped. "But- but- Tidus!"

"He's been back months and months. Plus, he'd help. All that watching each other's backs, killing fiends, the rush of a finished mission. Very romantic."

Yuna made a face. "For you maybe."

Rikku snorted. "There were nights on the pilgrimage you could barely keep your hands off of him. I was young, not sheltered."

Red crept over Yuna's cheeks.

Rikku decided to quite while she was winning. "Just think about it, Yunie. Oh and peppermint oil helps cool you down. Don't use too much though or you'll freeze, even in this heat." Rikku shuddered. "Night… or is that day?"

Yuna's mouth opened and closed as Rikku shut down the commsphere. Another smile played across her lips. If Gippal were any indication of the reaction of males to the smell of peppermint, then Tidus would jump Yuna. Rikku licked her lips. That had been a fun afternoon. She walked out of Gippal's pseudo-office swinging her hips. At the door, she paused and looked back at the commpshere over her shoulder.

Over a month, really?

* * *

Gippal drowsed, his eyes closed but not really sleeping. He could feel Rikku curled half way on top of him, head under his chin, arm over his chest, leg bent over his, the other parallel. She wasn't moving, but she didn't have that dead weight, no way she was moving one hundred fifty pound sack of flour, feeling to her either. He cracked open his eyes a couple of times, but hadn't been able to see her face. Something was keeping his lover awake.

She stared at the wall, Gippal's heartbeat in her ear. Had it really been over a month? She'd been trying to count the days and had lost track _before_ he'd taken her to the blitz tournament in Luca. That trip had taken up an entire weekend. It was when they returned he'd flipped the working hours from day to night. She could feel his chest moving up and down, slow, even. She hoped he was asleep, even if her mind was too much in a whirl that she couldn't. How long ago had that Luca trip been?

What had she been _doing _for over a month here? Shopping and spa treatments couldn't have taken up _all _of her time. Sure there had been a _lot_ of sex with Gippal and sometimes she helped him at the Machine Faction. It couldn't be cleaning or cooking. They'd both been doing that or going out to restaurants and clubs. Just… Her heart pounded and sweat formed in her palms. Was she turning into Yuna? After she'd been so blatant and obvious and vocal about how Yuna's attitude annoyed and confused her. How embarrassing. Was she just throwing her freedom away for a _man?_ Well, she could have left at any time, she supposed. She hadn't realized how long, over a month. What about adventure? What about work? What about fame? Or doing something _important_ in her life that brought honor and glory to the Al Bhed? How had she forgotten all of that? Shouldn't she be doing something?

Her mind churned. She had to work eventually, even if working meant killing fiends for gil and that was _a lot_ of work and not safe to do by herself. Sphere hunting wasn't _fun_ without Yunie. Or Paine, she added as an afterthought. And she had the same problem, it wasn't safe to sphere hunt alone. Excavation with her brother was more work than killing fiends for less reward. She wasn't digging. Digging was a joke, maybe if she was short on gil. Just no. She'd excavate with Anikki first.

What was wrong with her? She used to love to do those things, back when she had others to do them with. She was helping Yuna and could ignore that it wasn't the best use of her talents and abilities. If she could remember what those were.

It wasn't _so_ bad being at Djose with Gippal. She'd probably gone on without notice if Yuna hadn't said something. Why did she have to say something? Rikku had been happy, just fine and now…

Where had her _brain_ gone? She had to do something worthwhile with her time and she didn't want to just up and leave. Not when her and Gippal were doing so well with whatever they were doing. More than friends, more than sex, just what… She couldn't put a finger on the word she wanted for their relationship.

Gippal finally opened his eye. She wasn't sleeping and thus, he couldn't sleep. He craned his neck to the side and still couldn't see her face. "Yuna have bad news?" He asked. Yuna had asked to speak to Rikku.

Rikku started, jerked out of her thoughts of 'boyfriend, significant other, friends with benefits, gray area…' "Wha-?"

"Yuna, did she have bad news?" Gippal shifted his shoulder a little so he could put an arm on her hip.

"Oh no!" Rikku lifted her head and shook it.

"Then what's wrong?" He asked. He needed to see her face, so he carefully rolled up on his side, she ended up on the bed next to him.

"Nothing."

He reached down and smoothed her brow with his index finger. "Then what are you thinking so hard about?"

She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again and licked her lips. Her mind raced. She'd been thinking about a lot of things. The time, them, "Work." She shrugged.

"Work is good though." He ran his fingers over her hip.

"I- I guess." She inhaled. "I just don't know what to do." She paused. "I mean-" She sighed. "I don't know what I mean." She closed her eyes so she wouldn't see the hurt in his. "Working might mean leaving." She finished in a whisper.

Well, he rolled his eyes, that really wasn't exactly a huge problem. "Things are about wrapped up here in Djose and my feet are getting itchy."

Her eyes snapped open and her jaw dropped. What was he saying? "Gippal."

"So, we can go wherever you need."

She pushed up on one arm. "You can't leave Djose. Your work, your home…"

He repressed laughter. It could be fun shocking Rikku. "My home walked through my door complaining she was bored."

"But-"

"Plus, you have a pillow on the bed, a tooth brush and everything else in the bathroom and you've taken over the closet. You buy groceries, you help cook and clean. This is your place too." He didn't know how she couldn't see that. She'd moved past being a guest a long time ago.

"I haven't decorated." She said and scowled, as if her statement was supposed to prove something.

"I wish you would. It needs it." He muttered. Rikku giggled. He wrinkled his nose. "My point being, Djose can take care of itself if we need to go wandering."

She went quiet. That helped, it really did. "It might not involve wandering."

"Then we'll have to get out to Luca or even Bevelle more to satisfy my itchy feet." And yours, Gippal added mentally.

Rikku made a face. "How about the calm lands or Gagazet hot springs instead?"

"Those sound nice, relaxing. I like springs, cold when it's hot and hot when it's cold…" He trailed off. Her brow had furrowed again and he didn't like that look in her eyes, sad, confused, like when he'd left that first day.

"So, you'd go with me because your feet itch."

"Hell no!" The words exploded from his mouth. What type of guy did she take him for? He inhaled. "I've lost my home once. I'm not going to again." He slipped his hand to the base of her back. "No stopping, remember?" He frowned. "I'll allow pauses if you do but no outright stopping"

One of her eyes closed. "No stopping what?"

He stared at her. "Us."

Rikku's toes curled and her stomach jumped. "No stopping us?"

"We were idiots too long about-" Gippal stopped, dating wasn't the right word, they didn't date. They lived together, they made love or he considered it love, not sex. "-About being in a romantic relationship." He finished. It was lame. He considered them lovers but even that seemed too casual. "You know, together instead of single and moon pining."

"I did not pine." Rikku muttered.

He tapped his fingers on her spine. "Uh huh, sure."

"Only a little," her voice rose in a whine.

"A lot."

"You know where this is leading."

"Sex, lots of it." He said and nodded.

She tried to scowl, but the grin won over it. "I maintain I crushed and pined only a little."

"And I bet Paine and Yuna would not agree."

"Yuna was too busy to notice." Rikku sighed. "Romantic relationship." She said.

"Well, I try to be romantic and you've tried too." He paused. "As long as you tell no one how cheesy I am. I have my pride."

"Oh?" Her eyebrow rose. "No dignity but pride?"

A flash of memory of him falling and her laughter and he didn't blush or feel embarrassed. "Reputation?" He tried.

She snorted and ran her toes along his calf. "And what about bragging?"

He smirked. "Brag all you want."

"Good, Tomorrow I'll call Yuna and brag about my perfect boyfriend who buys me flowers, rubs my back, feeds me in bed and runs my bath."

He flopped onto his back. "Oh fine." He thrust out his bottom lip.

She rolled on top of her, holding her face over his. She leaned down and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. His hand pressed her to him, their stomachs touching, a few, too short minutes of bliss later, she pulled away smiling. "I called you my boyfriend." She said.

His mind didn't process what she meant.

She dimpled. "You didn't protest." She tossed her hair over her shoulder. There was a point at one time he would have done so. "Does this mean I get jewelry to celebrate my change in status?"

His brain caught up. "I think you have the wrong marker."

She pouted. "Then you aren't perfect. I can't brag about a less than perfect boyfriend."

"Good." He said. He hid a grin.

Her lip quivered. "I'll get you jewelry too."

"You just want jewelry." And if she wanted jewelry he was more than willing to get his girl jewelry, didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun with her first.

"_Boyfriend_ jewelry." She corrected him. Boyfriend jewelry was important. It was like the boyfriend coat or the boyfriend shirt, a visible status symbol worn on the body.

"And you're greedy."

"Uh huh."

"Since I'm paying for it, do I at least get to pick it out?"

She sighed. "I don't _have _to have jewelry if you're going to sulk."

Oops, too far, he thought. He cupped her cheek. "I'm _teasing_ you. It's a great idea." He ran his thumb over her lips. "I just want to be sure you don't have something already in mind."

Rikku rested her head against his hand. "Nothing gold, or copper, nothing pink. Something sparkly."

"I like pink."

"I _know._"

"Hey, I have to continue as I started, perfect." He paused as a bit of reality and his too well honed sense of logic hit him. "But I'm not really perfect." He muttered.

"I won't tell you finally admitted it." She grinned at him, dimple appearing in her visible cheek.

Gippal shook his head. "I don't want to go three steps back to go one step forward."

"Then why are you bringing it up?" She almost yelled.

"'Cause I never asked!" He hissed back. There he was making a jackass out of himself.

Disregarding the fact she hadn't been sure what they were a few minutes ago. She started in on it. "I said don't stop. You agreed! He had sex. I'm your girl, woman, whatever. Asking seems kinda unnecessary at this point." She rolled her eyes. "We go out, we stay in, sounds like dating to me or something."

"I want to make it official."

Her eyes softened and she smiled. "You are such a softy." And she loved that about him.

"So are you."

"Shhh… it's a secret."

He brushed his lips over hers. "Care to make it official?"

"Retroactively."

He chuckled. "How so?"

"Long enough that you owe me jewelry." She stuck out her tongue.

He snapped his teeth at it and she stuck it back in her mouth hurriedly and giggled. He snickered and said. "Then I'm late."

"Really?" She drawled.

"Yeah, we've been dating one month, two weeks, five days and twenty hours."

"Do you know down to the second?"

"No." He stated. He hadn't been paying that much attention. He knew the hour only because he'd randomly checked the clock at some point and it had stuck in his mind for some reason. "But it'll have to be an extra nice present, take you out to dinner someplace really fancy, make you get dressed up..." He tucked her hair behind her ear. "I insist on loose hair though."

"You sap."

"Flowers." He continued. She picked up _her_ pillow and hit him with it. He started to laugh. She hit him again giggled. He wrestled the pillow from her hand, hitting her with it once. She shrieked. He tossed it over the edge of the bed and rolled her over still laughing. He kissed her, kissed her until they both moaned. "It's a date."

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_PS. Thank you all for reading this lovely tiny trilogy!_


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